The Arizona Diamondbacks changed hitting coaches on Wednesday, hoping to improve their .248 team batting average.

Rick Schu, who is in his 10th season with the organization, will replace first-year coach Kevin Seitzer immediately, general manager Josh Byrnes said.

"I think for most of the season our offense hasn't been quite as consistent as we'd like, especially this last stretch, it really cost us some games," Byrnes said in a telephone interview. "It's unfair to say that Kevin Seitzer is to blame for that, but it's a change we need to make."

Seitzer was hired last October.

The move comes after a 2-8 road trip that ended with a three-game sweep at Cincinnati last weekend -- and two days before the Diamondbacks open a pivotal three-game series against division-leading San Diego in Chase Field Friday night.

Arizona's .248 average is 15th in the NL, and the Diamondbacks' 371 runs rank 12th.

The 45-year-old Schu, who had a .246 batting average over parts of nine major league seasons, also served as the Diamondbacks' hitting coach in 2004. He was the farm system's hitting coordinator in 2003 and from 2005 until Wednesday's move.

"It's unfair to say that Kevin Seitzer is to blame for that" = "Well, we can't fire the players now, can we?"